How homophobic bullies cost Chris his education

DR MIKE Homfray, lecturer in social policy at University of Central Lancashire and convenor of EMBRACE, Sefton’s Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual network, said: “Research shows that this is a genuine problem and something which is being taken seriously by campaigns such as Stonewall’s Education for All.

DR MIKE Homfray, lecturer in social policy at University of Central Lancashire and convenor of EMBRACE, Sefton’s Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual network, said: “Research shows that this is a genuine problem and something which is being taken seriously by campaigns such as Stonewall’s Education for All.

“It is clearly of great concern that a young gay person might lose out on vital educational opportunities.

“Clearly, support is always helpful, and I know that schemes such as Manchester’s Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Peer Support Project have done some valuable work in this area – but what sort of similar support is available in Southport and Sefton?

“Most of all, what are the schools doing about it themselves?

“The House of Commons Education Committee has recently noted that many schools are simply not getting to grips with the issue, in particular Roman Catholic schools, and this is simply unacceptable.

“All schools should be required to tackle anti-gay bullying and all other forms of homophobia and have a firm and tough zero-tolerance policy towards the bullies.”

FOR an 18-year-old Chris Peet could be considered a success, but he says he lost his education because of homophobic bullying at Stanley High School.

Chris walked out of the Marshside school just days after turning 16 following, he says, sustained physical and verbal abuse. He does not believe teaching staff there were tough enough with those responsible.

In five years, Chris says he was stabbed with a pencil, threatened with a knife, beaten up so badly he had to go to hospital and was a constant target for loudmouthed bullies.

And all because he was openly homosexual; as Chris told the Visiter: “I was famous for being gay.”

He said: “Some pupils would go to different levels, some of them would be physical, some would shout verbal abuse - even people who didn’t know me in different years.

“I was in the school yard one lunchtime when I was 13 and this kid came up to me and started shouting.

“So I started shouting back and then he went for me and got me to the ground.

“He was still going for me and everybody was gathered round just watching, nobody tried to break it up.

“One of the supply teachers got there in time, but I don’t know what would have happened if it had been ten minutes later.

“He was a huge bloke and I was getting pushed by different pupils while he just beat the life out of me.

“I had to go to hospital.”

And Chris feels that although teachers were aware of the bullying, they didn’t treat it as seriously as other forms of discrimination like racism.

Chris, who now runs his own recruitment agency in Manchester, said: “Teachers didn’t really treat it as discrimination.

“They’d treat it as nothing and just ring up the parents and leave it to them.

“In the circumstances of somebody being racist they would probably suspend them, and of course I think that’s the right way to go about things

“I do actually think that when it comes to things like this they should contact the police, not the parents.”

Fed up of his treatment, Chris said he walked out of Southport and into a new life in Manchester where he continues to live today in a city centre apartment with a long-term partner and his own business.

He added: “I don’t have any regrets, I’m happy.

“I speak to friends from Southport and some of the kids who used to pick on me at school don’t have jobs or still live with their parents.

“I’m quite proud of what I’ve done, especially without an education, but the next kid might not be so lucky - they may need their education.”